This document discusses common article usage errors made by Brazilian English language learners and provides rules and examples to help them improve. It addresses the indefinite articles "a" and "an", the definite article "the", and situations where no article is used. Examples are given of errors such as overusing or omitting articles. Guidelines are presented for determining whether to use "a/an", "the", or no article depending on factors like nouns starting with vowels or consonants, level of specificity, or abstractness. The purpose is to help ELLs properly apply article usage.

1. ARTICLES
Bárbara Garcia and Leonardo Sampaio

2. PROBLEMS OUR ELLS HAVE
 Due to Portuguese interference, Brazilian ELLs
tend to overuse articles at times:
 “The love is beautiful”
 “It wasn’t me teacher. It was the Peter.”
 At times they fail to use or misuse them:
 “I am lawyer.”
 “He always travels to United States.”
 “We have to wear an uniform to school.”
 And not so rarely they use ‘one’ instead of a or
an:
 “I got two kids. One boy and one girl.”

3. WORKING WITH INDEFINITE ARTICLES: A
AND AN
These articles should be used before unspecific singular count
nouns or the ones that are being mentioned for the first time in
the conversation.
Rule Example
• Use a before singular
count nouns or
adjectives that begin
with a consonant
sound.
• a tree; a big tree
• Use an before singular
count nouns or
adjectives that begin
with a vowel sound.
• an idea; an
amazingidea
• Words that begin with
an hor a uare tricky.
However, as before the
sound will determine
which article to use.
•a house (consonant
sound); an hour (silent
h, vowel sound)
•a uniform (the sound
of the consonant /y/);
an umbrella (vowel
sound).
What our ELLs should keep
in mind.
• I “have I have two two kids. kids. A boy One and boy
a
and one girl.”
girl.
• “I’m lawyer.”
I’m a lawyer.
• I “I have have to to wear wear a uniform an uniform
to
to school.”
school.

4. WORKING WITH
THE DEFINITE
ARTICLE: THE
Rule Example
• Use the when it
is something
specific.
•Thecar won’t
start.
• Usethe when
both participants
are talking about
the same specific
item.
• Remember to
lock the front
door.
• Use the when
something is being
mentioned for the
second time in the
conversation.
• I have two kids.
A boy and a girl.
The boy is 11 and
the girl is 9.
• Use the with the
superlative.
• Stephen is the
smartest kid in
school.
Rule Example
• Use the with
country names that
sound plural or have
united, republic, or
kingdom.
•TheUnited States
•The United Kingdom
•The Philippines
•The Republic of
Sudan
• Usethe for parts of
something. (In
general the is not
used for body parts)
• What an amazing
apartment. The
living room is
beautiful and the
dining room is
stunning. Can’t wait
to see the bedrooms.
• Use thebodies of
waters; except
individual lakes.
•TheNile river
• The Atlantic Ocean
•The Caspian Sea
•The Great Lakes
(but Lake Michigan)
• Use the with
geographic areas and
parts of the globe.
•The Sahara Desert
•The Middle East
• The equator
• The North
What our ELLs should keep in mind:
• “He always travels to USA.”
• “That watch is most expensive in the store.”
• “I would like to go to Galapagos Islands.”
He always travels to the United States.
That watch is the most expensive in the store.
I would like to go to the Galapagos Islands.

5. WORKING WITH NO ARTICLE: (0)
Rule Example
• No article is used when talking
about a group or category.
•(0) Dogs are very friendly.
•(0) Buses produce a lot of pollution.
• No article is used before abstract
nouns.
•(0) Patience is a virtue.
•(0)Love is more important than (0)
money.
What our ELLs should know:
• “The love is beautiful.”
• “It wasn’t me teacher. It was the Peter.”
Love is beautiful.
It wasn’t me teacher. It was Peter.

6. WORKING WITH NO ARTICLE: (0)
Rule Example
• No article is used when talking
about a group or category.
•(0) Dogs are very friendly.
•(0) Buses produce a lot of pollution.
• No article is used before abstract
nouns.
•(0) Patience is a virtue.
•(0)Love is more important than (0)
money.
What our ELLs should know:
• “The love is beautiful.”
• “It wasn’t me teacher. It was the Peter.”
Love is beautiful.
It wasn’t me teacher. It was Peter.